Leveling instrument.



G. A. 1ENN|NG- [EVELING INSTRUMENT. APPLICATION FILED AUG-H. 1913 Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

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G. A. JENNING. LEVEUNG INSTRUMENT.

AEPLICATION FILED AUG-ll, 1913.

Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

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wild@ GUSTAV A. JENNING, 0F EAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINGIS.

LEVELING INSTRUMENT.

Application led August 11, 1913.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that 1, Gus'rav A. JEJNING, a citizen of the United States, andresident of East St. Louis, St. Clair county, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful lm- ]Yn'ovements in Leveling Instruments, of which the following is a specification containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to improvements in leveling instruments of the iiuid type as disclosed in my former Patents No. 872,183 issued November 26, 1907 and No. 1,050,602 issued May 6, 1913.

The object of my invention is to provide the leveling column as disclosed in my former patents with a flexible holder for a quantity of liquid which serves as a level indicating medium acted upon by a` larger body of liquid, the said holder disposed in such manner as to reduce to a minimum the entrance of air to that portion of the instru ment in which is confined the large leveling body of liquid.

A further object of my invention is to provide such an instrument with a novel means of venting that portion of the instrument in which is confined. the leveling body of liuid.

Anda still further object of my invention is to provide a novel trap for such instruments in which the desideratum is a con tinuously open port for the admission of air to the level indicating bodies of liquid.

With the above purposes in view my invention consists in certain novel 'features of construction and arrangement ot parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, pointed out in the claims and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which-- liigure 1 shows in elevation, with certain parts broken away, one 01:' the columns of an instrument constructed according to my invention;

F ig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of the other column;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation partly in section oi? the column of my invention which is employed in connection with a given level;

F ig. l is a vertical sectional elevation ot the column of my invention which is employed to establish a level obtainable from the column shown in Fig. 2;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb.. 1?, 191'?.

Serial No. 784,159.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional elevation ot the tube clamp; and

Fig. C is a view oli the operative `tace of the manipulative element for moving the in dicator of the level establishing column.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings:

(i designates the established level column, 7 the level establishing column, 8 a flexible tubular connection between the two columns and 9 a clamp arranged to act on the tubular connection between the two columns to compensate for a variation in the capacity oi the tubular connection.

Each of the columns carries a pointer such as 10 and the figures show only the column (l having such a pointer, but it is to be understood that the column 7 is provided with a like pointer. `The pointer 10 is arranged to be employed with an established bench mark or level.

JEach of the columns is provided with a sight opening 11 arranged to reveal a transparent water tube 12.

Suspended from said water tube or at least in communication therewith is a flexible water container' 13.

Arranged in each column 6 and 7 above the water tube there is a water trap comprising two tubes 1iA and 15, one arranged above the other, the uppermost tube having a port 1G for the admission of air to the trap to influence a body of water held within the water tubes 12 and the flexible conta i ners l Each oit the tubes l5 has at its lowcrmost end a. device 17 in the [orin oil a curved integral strip forming a continuation ot the tubes. whose ollices aro primarily to prevent drops oit water 'from gathering ai themouths oil said tubos which would interfere with the free passage et air therethrough.

The body portion of the column 7 comprises telescoping sections 18 and 19, the section 18 carrying the pointer 10 adjacent its top and also carries an indicator 20 adjacent the water tube 12, which indicator is visible through the opening 11.

The section 18 is movable 'relative to the section 19 which carries a fixed projection 2l which is acted upon by a manipulative p This manipulative member 22 has fixed relationship except for its rotation with the section 1S. Section 19 is the section of the instrument that is fixed or held, and the water tube and flexible container 13 have fixed relationship with the section 19. By a manipulation of the member' 22 the section 18, carrying the pointer 10 and indieator 20, may be moved vertically relative to the fixed section 19 as required to bring the indicator 2O to the level of the water in the tube 12.

One or the other of the columns 6 and 7, preferably the column 7, is provided with a valve 2l, whose ollice is to exhaust or control the lvolume ot water contained in the lower-most portion of the two columns and their tubular connection. This valve 24e comprises a stein, preferably formed as an integral part ol? the lowermost portion oi either column (5 or 7, and which stem is internally threaded throughout its length to receive a plug, which has a bore extending a part of its length, communicating with a right angled bore, the part of the plug containing the last mentioned bore being of less diameter, or reduced, than the body of the plug, so that there will be a space between the plug and stem. Over the outer end of the stem there is a cap which is threaded to the stem and which has a vent hole in its end. lt is obvious that when the cap is fully seated the vent hole is closed by enoagement with the end of the plug and to open same it is only necessary to space the Cap end from the plug.

By providing the traps at the tops of the two devices with the columns 17, overcome one objectionable and annoying feature of leveling instruments of this type which has been the collection of a drop of water which would close the inlet to air which influenced the level indicating bodies of water.

ly disposing the flexible water containers to comprise a part of the instrument holding the level indicating bodies o1 water and to arrange these flexible containers to be influenced only by the level establishing bodies of water the action of the rising and falling ot' the water in the two columns will not tend to draw air into the level establishing bodies o1 water.

`By the provision of a valve forming a part of one of the columns a ready and eiilcient means is had for the variation of the level establishing body of water.

In the practical use of my invention the instrument 6 is established with relation to a fixed bench mark and the instrument 7 is carried to a distant point, where the same level as the bench mark is desired, the pointer 10 of the first instrument being placed a predetermined distance above the bench mark and the indicator 2O occupying a position having a fixed relationship with the pointer and adjacent the water tube 12. rlhe second operator having charge of the distant instrument then manipulates the element Q2 to raise or lower the pointer and indicator of the second instrument to the same horizont-al plane as the pointer and indicator ofl the first instrument, guided of course by the height of water in the respective tubes.

l claim:

1. In a leveling' instrument of the class described, a tubular element comprising telescoped sections, means for relatively moving the sections, a sight glass in the one section, a 'fiexible container in open communication with the sight glass, a second tubular element of like structure with the first mentioned tubular element, a tubular means for connecting said elements, and an air vent for one of said tubular elements above said sight glass and exible container.

In a leveling apparatus an instrument comprising a tubular body, a sight glass in said body, an open topped flexible sack in said tubular body in communication with the sight glass, a second instrument of like characteristics and a flexible tube for intercommunicatively associating the two instruments for the purposes stated.

In a leveling` instrument, a container for a level indicating body of fluid, a trap in coinimmication with said container, an air inlet for said trap, and means located at thc discharge end of said inlet for preventing the accumulation of fluid.

ln testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GUSTAV A. JENNING.

Witnesses E. L. WALLACE, N. Gr. BUTLER.

Copies of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

